Wednesday, February 27, 2013

1320 MEGADEF: The Beat is the Life

During the this cold February month, I had the privilege of interviewing a North Chicago legend.  1320 Megedef has done it all on the music scene and rubbed elbows with some of the best in the business.  When I met him, there was definitely a straight talk no chaser vibe about the man.   Megadef is all about the business of making custom beats and working with real artists who want to move something.   More than that, in an industry where anyone can shine like new money for a second before their gold turns to brass, 1320 Megadef is probably one of the most honest, and forth right businessmen alive today. 

The man, the music maker, the legend:  MEGADEF
On the afternoon of February 15, 2013, I went to his self made studio/home in North Chicago to learn about the man and his motivations.  I learned a lot.  And I hope to be working with him soon.       
 

 

Tell us about yourself:  

 

I was born in Waukegan and raised in North Chicago.  My mother is from here; my father is from Waukegan.  I’ve been doing music since 1987, back when the TR808 was first out.  I’ve been doing music since then.  And I’ve been through various episodes in my career with people and artist, working with people who didn’t want to work and thought they wanted to work and that ended up putting me in financial strains because they didn’t want to put in the work like I was doing.  They weren’t as driven.  And I learned a lot from that.  I learned that if you do good business you keep good business.  So, if there is any kind of mistakes in business then I know to leave it alone.  Because it’s not going to work out.

If I was just being friendly then I know it probably would work out, but not when there is business involved. And I’ve noticed that people don’t like to see people out here doing something.  They don’t like to help them because they might not help them no more.

When I first started, I didn’t have nothing.  I just had a dream of doing it, because of some instances that I had happen in my life.  I found that I had better be more focused on this (dream) more than anything.  So, I dropped everything that I was doing—cars and all this other stuff.  And I just started buying 2x4s.    I would try to talk to guys and they really didn’t see what I was seeing, my father was drawing up plans for the space and stuff like that so I was thinking of this dream in a real way.

So you had a vision of where you wanted your life to be as opposed to where it was heading?

 

Right.  I wanted to make a business of myself and I wanted to be happy doing what I loved.  So, my father designed the space and I started getting 2x4s and I had a few artists and stuff.  But, they never would pay their dues and stuff.  And I was just asking for like $25.00, you know what I’m saying, I was trying to get something going.  So, I ended up leaving them alone.  And then I saved my money and did the things I did. Then when they came back I didn’t feel I could work with them because I didn’t believe in them no more because they didn’t believe in me.  So that didn’t work out.

So the people I dealt with after that, I had better experience with.  So now, I don’t do prolonged business.  I ‘m not a record company.  I don’t want to be involved with making sure artists get shows or not.  I am just strictly a producer now.  I try to do all my business legitimately.  I like to make sure everybody has their rights.  I’m not the type of person to going around chasing people and saying this and that.  I like to take care of the business up front.

So, I really try to do song contracts because I do custom beats.     I just don’t make beats and try to sell it to everybody, but I do have beats like that.  Beats that I could just sell for $5.00 or something like that and there are no rights to those. So, I try to work on what artist really try to focus on when they are doing a song.  I got a guy who wants me to do three songs with him.  SO I try to do at least 15 tracks for them to choose from so that they get best out of me and so I’m strictly focused on getting those tracks for them.

So, that is why my work kind of has a little price to it.  I work out various deals and such.  You know, sometimes the beat is so good I might want to have different kind of rights to it.   So I don’t have to go through any kind of legal things with it.  Other than that, I’m really just producing music.

 Right now, I got a project with my daughter.  My daughter is a singer.   She and I are going to do a project and one of my main focal points for that project is being original and not falling into sounding like anybody else.   And trying to make our mark.  I know I’m going to do it with her because she is just a fabulous, outstanding singer.  She is just at that level of singing that you know I have someone that is going to take me to the top.

 

Tell us about Money Tight Music:       

 

Money Tight Music was actually group a guys from the neighborhood, and we used to all hang together and we were all from various gangs.  And I’m going to go into this subject because I think it is important:   I am the person that started the saying “NOGO” and I started because back in the day (I think it was the 1990s or something like that) Chicago started coming down here and that lead to a big gang infusion.  Everybody started to going into different gangs and everybody forgot that we all live here.  We all, regardless of anything, he might be a Gangsta Disciple or something but I still know his brother or I still know his father.  Things aren’t the same from Chicago to here because it’s small.  We know everybody.  So, how can I go off and do something to somebody simply because he something else.  So that’s when I started to say it’s NOGO.  It’s not Chicago, its’ NOGO.   

And a lot of people don’t realize no one used to like North Chicago.  We used to be into it with Waukegan, Zion; all that stuff, all the time.  Now, it’s the most popular place and it is the most desecrated place because they done tore it up now.  But, a lot of people forgot about that, but I will never forget and I love the town.  I grew up going to the talent shows.  I’ve seen some spectacular stuff in some talent shows that you would never see on TV.   And they were packed!   Neal Elementary School talent shows, North Chicago High School talent shows were packed.  You can’t even do that now!

Another thing with MONEY TIGHT MUSIC is if I get behind somebody, I got to get behind somebody who wants something.  If I’m putting myself behind them, I mean, I could sit there and make a beat or something but if I get behind them then I need to know that they are willing to go as hard as I am.  I’m not even a performer or nothing like that.  I’ve done shows where I’ve paid for the deejays, paid for the sound man, did the security and all these other things, and I’ve got people who didn’t even try to show up with costumes or gear.  No stage presence or nothing.  You know, that is the thing with me I want people with talent.  People who are really talented and who are really driven.  And I’m just really starting to put myself out publicly right now. I’m getting a website and things like that.           

 

 

How much has the local music scene changed from when you started up until now?

 

It’s changed a lot.  It’s a lot more movement.  It’s a lot a more movement and there is a lot more venues that artists can get into because there used to didn’t be any venues around here.  You got local bars and clubs and stuff like that.  That’s cool, and I love stuff like that, but I haven’t seen anyone really step it up.

You know I watch this Kid Rock show—you know I watch things about people and see how they do things.  Kid Rock was so in depth about himself that when he did shows he made shows that made him look like he was already there.  Meaning, like he was already famous. 

He had big lights and pyrotechnics and he made sure he fulfilled his thing.  He just didn’t get up on stage with his band and rock and stuff like that.  He made sure that you were entertained and had a good time.  So when the record companies came to see him they had no doubt that this man could do it.  That is what I’m trying to get at.  Because I believe that if you make one good show you can make another good show.  And another one and another one.

That’s why I go back to North Chicago talent shows, and I saw how these guys had worked hard to make their shows perfect.  ROBOTRON made their makeup and stuff made sure that their curtain was black.  You know, just small stuff that they could do when they didn’t even have no money.  But, they made sure that these little few things were right so that you had this big picture of them dancing.  You don’t look at them like damn that’s tin man or something.  No, you are looking at them like damn they getting off!  They jamming!!!  You’re never focused on the individual; you are entertained.

 

How much has the local music scene stayed the same? 

 

That’s basically what’s really stayed the same.  No one is taking it to the next level.  Like the Afro fest, everybody just gets on stage.  You know, you don’t see nobody coming in—like I be seeing guys talking about they got females and all that stuff.  You don’t see them with no females on the stage with costumes or anything to make the statement that they are not just coming out their just practicing, you know that they really out there trying to give somebody something.   And make sure they see you as entertainers.  So, that is what really hasn’t changed.  Nobody has stepped it up.

 

I’ve been talking to different artists at various levels in their craft since I started blogging about NOGO.  Some would say it is difficult to step it up out here.

 

It’s not.  You know why?  Because proper preparation prevents poor performance.

 

 

You think so?

 

I know so.  Because if you say to yourself you’ve got a year or even say six months, that’s time.  That means you’ve got time to get prepared.    Meaning that, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have all the money, what money do you have to make that?   Like I said about ROBOTRON, they lived in the projects.  They didn’t have a lot of money and stuff.  So they may have went and got their shoes one week and then the next week they went and got their shirts.  But in the end they got it done. 

Don’t make it so big that you can’t do nothing.  They’ve got prices up here and they’ve got prices down here.   Get what you can in order to get what you want to get so that you can get the next thing.

Jermaine Dupree told me people want us to give them a million dollar contract and they ain’t spent a thousand dollars or maybe 500 dollars in the studio themselves.  So you want us to put all this money in you and you don’t even know what to do.  We are going to waste money on you because we have to show you things.  You know, you ain’t experienced, you’re not getting out there.

 

Everybody’s not DIDDY.

Nah.  And everybody’s not a workaholic. They don’t work.  They don’t believe in it, they want the instant success. You know, and you got so many people now especially with African Americans, it used to be everybody wanted to be a ball player.  Now everybody wants to be a drug dealer, or they want to play basketball or be a rapper.   Nothing , no doctors, obstetricians, etc.  That’s all you hear from most African American men.   Just those three sections, right there.  Never education.  It appalling to me.  And the reason why I say that is because everybody wants to fill a shoe but no one wants their own shoe.  Meaning that, just because you’ve seen somebody else do it now you want to do it, but you never were determined to do it yourself.  Where is your determination at for what you want to do? 

Who’s stopping you?  I’ve let no artist stop me.  If I let an artist stop me I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right now.  Because if you quit that doesn’t make me quit.  That makes me strong cause I know if I do that then I fell off too.

I get mad at people who say to me, “Are you still doing music?” I say I’m not you.  I‘m going to keep doing whatever I’m doing.   I feel successful even if I hadn’t made it.  Because I’m still doing it from the strength of where I used to be at.  So I’m good.

 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

 

I get it from my past.  I get it from my own personal passion for music.  Then, so many gifts have been given to me that for me that it’s been a life for me for all times. 

I remember, back in the day, I wanted a TR808 so bad that I stole one.  And what happen was, a guy that was in the group with us, who happened to be my girl’s cousin, gave it back to the dude.  He was trying to get in good with the guy, so he gave it back to him.   And that erased my karma.  

The next day, my cousin come up the street and tells me he’s got something for me.  I say “what”.  He gives me a receipt.   He tells me, it’s a TR808.  All you have to do is you have to pay $127 at Gans Music sign the papers and it’s yours. 

Right you know what I’m saying.  So it was instances like that that help me stay driven and the past is something I keep in my mind to help me move forward. 

 

Any advice you can give to the novice producers out there?  

 

The production thing really getting big now because it’s so easy now. And I like it too.   But, I just want to see be inventive. I know you can’t make it in this industry by trying to check their way in, but most people who make superstar status have something original about themselves. 

Like TI is from the south, but you don’t hear him like that, he has like a broader approach.  HE can represent the hood, but he doesn’t have to a total representation because he can say it in other ways that marinate the other people.  So he can distribute his message and make sure other people can pick up no matter what they into. That’s why white people like it.  Because they can apply it to themselves. 

Because music is an international language, so if I don’t know who you are and you saying something to me I can get my own interpretation of it.  And if it applies to me then I’m good.

Buy, mainly, we need some people to step it up and take it to that NOGO sound.    Make it a mark in and of itself.

   


 

 

 

 

Saturday, February 9, 2013

CeaseFire: Rally for Peace 2/9/2013

When:  Saturday afternoon, February 9th.

Where:  North Chicago High School Auditorium

   Before arriving at the event, my mood was stoic.  I didn't really think much would happen today or that I would really learn anything.  (Just being honest)  But, after I left, I had a renewed faith in my community and still many questions ran through my mind.

  What is this entity, this CeaseFire program?  And why is it necessary?
              CeaseFire is an anti-violence program and an initiative of the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention aimed at reducing street violence by using outreach workers to interrupt potentially violent situations.  And in the words of one Pastor who spoke at the event, "The reason why we have Ceasefire is because people are dying . . ."  And he was right.  People, young people, are dying needless and preventable deaths because of gun violence.

            This is not right.  In January of this year the murder rate in the city of Chicago was at 506 deaths.  The highest in a decade.   And most of the time the perpetrators of these violent acts are themselves minority youth.

            This rally was a cry for relief as well as a call to action.  For our community is in peril and we are to blame if this situation is not fixed. 

             This is not a game.  Especially to those who have lost a love one to gun violence. 

IS it unfortunate that we need an organization like CeaseFire? 
                Yes and No.   It is unfortunate that these measures have to be taken, but lives are on the line and bullets don't have names.   The next time it could be me, or you, or your child on a cold slab at the coroner's office waiting to be identified.   And since, this type of thing happens everyday in most urban communities, I don't call it unfortunate that we have organizations like CeaseFire working to prevent violence. I call it a blessing.

                  What is unfortunate is the circumstances that brought the necessity for CeaseFire about.
Too many people are saying we can do better for the disenfranchised but not many of those people are willing to get in the mud and pull them out.  The men and women of CeaseFire are doing just that.

                   Sometimes, just sometimes, a person can becomes so jaded that they think that no one cares.  Fortunately, I realized today that I live in a community that does care about itself. North Chicago, IL really came out and represented itself in a positive light this day.  And I can say that I am proud that I was there to witness it.

What can we do as a community to make change, real change, happen in our community?

               CeaseFire sets a provocative example:  The Violence Interrupters( ex gangbangers, drug dealers, etc.) are a special unit of violence intervention experts that work to mediate conflict on the "front-end".   They have picked up the mantle of community leadership that was in effect during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.  Moreover, they are proof that being a "felon" does not mean that you are a "failure".

Through these ex offenders, our church leaders and our politicians, can reach out to those who would commit violence and with a firm, kind understanding offer solutions before tragedy occurs.

IT may take more time than I have breath, but after today, I (miss stoic, miss jaded) am a believer that change can happen in North Chicago.  But we have to want it for ourselves.

If you want more information about the CeaseFire program go to www.ceasefire.com

Friday, February 8, 2013

February & Black History: Why it takes more than a month to enrich a life time.


 
 
I want everyone of color (or not) who reads this blog to watch this video first.  It speaks volumes to me about where African Americans are today as a people.  And it speaks volumes as well about our legacy, who we are as a people, and how far we still have to go.
 
Do we know who we are?  And do we know how important that knowledge is?   This goes beyond weeping with joy at the sound of the "I have a dream speech".   This goes beyond the reality of Obama's Presidential victories.  Do we know who we are?   Is the "dream" still alive or is it just a fantasy we indulge ourselves in once or twice a year?
 
Reflecting on my own limited Black historical education:  Back in the early 1990s, I was a high school.  That was the first time I had heard the name Malcolm X.  I never knew that there was an antithesis to the nonviolent Civil Rights movement.  I was handed a paper with multiple choice questions on it, full names and dates.  I thought I knew enough.  I really didn't know anything at all.  And that fact just hit me like a ton of bricks.
 
So, I chose, as much as I could, to educate myself about our historical background. I figured, knowledge is power, and if that power can be used against me, I had better arm myself as much as possible.
 
But, it takes more than a month to enrich a lifetime.  There are still things I don't know.
 
But I have learned to count on the wisdom of my elders.  Elder women, like Maya Angelou (who I haven't meant but greatly admire), who counseled Tupac Shakur on the set of Poetic Justice.  Tupac was an icon like she still is.   His murder (possibly orchestrated and perpetrated by other black men) remains unsolved.  I believe Maya's words speak more about Tupac Amaru Shakur's character than anything I have ever read or heard about him.  But that is not the point of this op-ed.
 
Do we know who we are as a people and how important that knowledge is?
 
More importantly do our youth?  
 
There is an urgency within our community to act, but nothing is being done to shield us from one another.  Too many black youth are dying at the hands of one another, and no one seems to have answer for the chaos. 
 
Tomorrow,  First lady Michelle Obama plans to attend Saturday’s funeral in Chicago for 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton who was shot and killed in a park on January 29th.  She had her whole life ahead of her, and was the pride of her family and her community.
 
Her senseless death is one of many that have plagued the city of Chicago and it's surrounding suburbs for years.   So much death; so much that question becomes not, do we know who we are, but do we know what we are losing?
 
Drugs, Gangs, Lack of Education, Lack of Discipline, Lack of self respect--This all has to end. Once, a long time ago, it took a village to raise a nation.  That is what it will have to take again in order for things to get better.  AND so I end this piece by asking again--no pleading with all to know who you are and educate yourselves.  You are the next MLK, the next Malcolm X, the next Tupac, the next Maya Angleou that you have been waiting for.  So educate yourselves.  And each one teach one.